KABUL,
17 July 2008 (IRIN) - At least 1.5 million people in 19 of
Afghanistan's 34 provinces - mostly farming communities in the north -
have been severely affected by drought and are in need of urgent
humanitarian relief, an Afghan minister told IRIN.

"About
1.5 million people have lost 70-80 percent of their livelihoods -
mostly rain-fed agriculture and livestock - owing to the drought," said
Ehsan Zia, minister of rural rehabilitation and development.

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The
drought, which officials blame on global warming, has also affected
irrigated agricultural land, with yields down 40 percent in many places
compared to 2007.

Afghanistan's domestic cereal production is
thus set to fall to about 2.3 million tonnes as against 4.6 million
tonnes in 2007 - a 50 percent drop - the Ministry of Agriculture,
Irrigation and Livestock said.

Afghanistan produced close to
90 percent of its domestic cereal consumption needs in 2007, but has
long been dependent on imports from Pakistan to make up the shortfall.

Afghan officials say the current shortfall will be made good by food aid deliveries and imports.